Many studies engaged with acoustic ecology have focused on urban
environments, motivated by increasing concerns about the sensory
impoverishment related to the dominance of anthropogenic sound
associated with traffic and other types of transport, machinery from
industry or construction, alarm signals and other sounding activities,
which often mask and interfere with our living environment. These
anthropogenic sounds have tended to be linked to a lack of environmental
quality, as they inhibit the perception of other natural sounds. The
sounds of the wind, the water, the voicing of certain animals
originating from natural landscapes often contrast with human sounds in
urban landscapes. They often share the same physical characteristics as
measured by volume, duration, frequency or tone, but are experienced by
humans differently. Beauty is in the ear of the beholder, we could say.
Soundscapes are part of any ecosystem and a fundamental
manifestation of life. Every individual and species contributes and
responds differently to a given sonic context with its own perceptual
mechanism and will use diverse communication strategies. Development
processes and urbanization have directly influenced the environment,
often in negative ways that eliminate or diminish unique sounds, causing
loss of social identity and cultural diversity.
Processes that occur in a landscape create patterns of sounds that
can be identified. In turn, the entire phenomenon that inhibits or
prevents effective acoustic communication can have consequences for the
survival of individuals, species and ultimately, entire ecosystems. As
our natural soundscapes morph and shrink, threats of extinction
increase.
The future of cities is often related to the idea of city as a
living environment dependent on and enriched by technology. A city
should be seen as a sustainable community, where living organisms
coexist and interact with man-made technologies integrated in our
everyday life. Landscape therefore reflects the way humans interact with
their natural world while organizing space and time. In this sense,
landscape ecology should be expanded conceptually and imaginatively to
encompass all the possible dimensions of human relations with and within
the environment, including its living components.
The aim of this conference is to bring together scholars, artists
and theoreticians on soundscape art and ecology and encourage them to
present new perspectives that will further interdisciplinary research
and practice. We still know little about the complex relationships
between landscapes and soundscapes or the significance of acoustic
ecology for all living organisms including ourselves. Focused study and
intentional stewardship of our sound heritage for the holistic
evaluation of landscapes is fundamental to the evolution of all species,
and will have a great impact on the survival of many. This will be a
central topic to be discussed.